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I can tell you that this pattern was a labor of love, and I’m really proud to send this out into the world. To give you a little more history behind this pattern, I asked Emily to write a little bit about it how it came to be the latest Chalk and Notch release.

I’m so excited to help introduce Chalk and Notch’s latest design. While I’ve always been a fan of Gabriela’s work, this pattern in particular is very near and dear to my heart. The inspiration for this pattern is a jacket that used to be my mother’s. She passed away in 2004 at the age of 48 from a 14-month battle with leukemia. I had boxed away some of her clothing and a couple years ago came across her jacket. It has become a staple in my wardrobe ever since. I had always wanted to recreate it and couldn’t find any patterns out there that fit the bill. I’m thrilled to announce there is an official pattern now! The Joy Jacket! Gabriela has tweaked it to perfection and has added fun options that have made it even better than the original. I’m so honored that she took on the challenge of making this special pattern and even more honored that she named it after my sweet mom, Joy. I can’t wait for this pattern to get into the sewing world’s hands. I hope you all love it as much as I do! Emily

As you can imagine, I felt strongly about bringing you the best version I could and ultimately about doing this pattern justice. With lots of help from so many testers, we feel pretty great about releasing this pattern. We hope you love it and it brings you a little bit of joy!

PATTERN DETAILS

The Joy Jacket is a fully lined, relaxed fit, mid-weight jacket. The center front zipper is exposed, and both views offer optional drawstrings at the neck and hem. View A has a wide collar and View B has a hood. The square patch pockets and angled patch pockets are interchangeable.

The pattern is listed as INTERMEDIATE sewing level. The pattern is fully lined and there is no need to overlock any seams since they are all enclosed. There are detailed step-by-step illustrated instructions to help you along the way. If you prefer photos, there will also be a sew-along on the Chalk and Notch blog in early March. If you’d like more help, the Chalk and Notch Patterns Facebook Group is a great place to get support. Many of the testers had never sewn a jacket before and they did an amazing job, so don’t be nervous if this is your first time sewing outerwear!

If you would like to know where to source fabric, there is a post scheduled for Wednesday with awesome fabric inspiration from Blackbird Fabrics,Style Maker Fabrics, La Mercerie, Harts Fabric, Imagine Gnats, and IndieSew. There will also be hardware kits in 7 colors available for pre-order! In the meantime, you can check out the fabric yield chart and supply list. You might just have everything you need in your stash.

INSPIRATION

I can’t wait for you to see these amazing versions created by our gorgeous testers. This is not even all of them! They are generous and talented, and I feel really lucky that they helped me bring this pattern to you. You can click on each image to check out their Instagram feed. I have many more versions to share, and I will be back with more posts and tester photos next week.

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Emily - Enjoyful Makes

Jill - Kneesocks and Goldilocks

Meghan - Joyfulmon

Brooke - Desert Seams

Jennifer - Peppermint Creek

Kristen - Sew I'm New Here

Dominique - Kreamino

Ashley - Chickadee Chickadee

Trish - Florals Flannels

Leanne - Minimeekie

Ashley - Littlebitco

Patti - Simple Blessed

Melissa - Sews by the Sea

MJ - Sewflo

Jessica - Kunklebaby

Courtney - Court of all Trades

Maria Luisa - 3emlinha

I’d love to see what you come up with, so if you share your makes, tag @chalkandnotch and use the hashtags #joyjacketpattern #chalkandnotchpatterns so I can see your creations. If you need any sewing help or have questions, please feel free to email me or join the Chalk and Notch Facebook group – I’m always happy to help. You can also follow Chalk and Notch on Instagram HERE.

Gabriela

Kathy McIntyre

10 months ago

Your thoughts and feelings on this Joy Jacket make me want to tackle a jacket, even though I’ve never made one!
I love the story behind this jacket, I too lost my mom when I was young and her belongings mean so much to me

[…] The Women’s Joy Jacket released on Monday! We want to thank you so much for the warm reception and excitement over this pattern. It means a lot that you love it and we can’t wait to see your Joys. You can read more about the special meaning behind this pattern in our release post here. […]